Story: John 4

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0:00 We're starting four weeks looking at these four core values that I hang up every week story piece lineage and life And we've had those since the beginning Of our church actually those four words came up from after we've been meeting together for maybe about a year year and a half we pulled the group of people and Talked about what do we think of when we think of this little congregation of the church of God? and

0:30 These four words came up story piece lineage in life and Mike made those little icons for us and I really like them as core values and so we try and revisit them a couple of times or like maybe once a year and So we're gonna do that now this next four weeks look at story piece lineage in life And we're also doing this thing with these pictures to try and Get us to reflect a little bit on how these values hit us So we'll think a little bit about story and later on here as

1:02 We're gathered you'll have these little cards and I'll ask you to fill out a little bit based on story that we'll leave behind but Before we get to that I want to look at our text for the morning that I picked out to think about story And it's in John chapter 4 if you want to look there with me John chapter 4 And We picked this as a core value First because it's important for for us that we remember that Central to

1:33 What it means to be the church is this story? About what God has done with humanity in the world and that the scriptures are not like a Bound list of doctrines It's not a guide book necessarily for your life It's not a list of right and wrong behaviors It's um, it's a story. It's a story about what God has been doing in the world with humanity since the beginning of time

2:06 Up through the beginning of the church And so the first thing to think about when we think about story as a core values that were based around this story That out of this story this narrative Comes our notion of reality. It's the defining narrative under which we live It helps us it orients us in the universe. It reminds us who humanity is what we're here for where we're headed It points us to who God is by looking at what God has done in the world

2:38 And so this story here is core to to our identity We remember that at this at the center of who we are is this story of what God has been doing in the world But also and this is what I want to hint out a little bit here this morning is stories of core value for us because Each of our individual stories matter they fit underneath this Medinareative so we're not it's not predetermined. We're living out this story with God And I think that comes into John chapter 4 a little bit

3:11 So let's look there John the the like narrative of Jesus life in in John the way John remembers it is a little bit different than each of the other Three gospel writers were pretty sure John wrote his gospel last the gospel John might be the last thing that we have That was written in the New Testament Maybe as late as 90 AD John was definitely the last living of the 11 disciples the 12 disciples

3:44 And he wrote this book last in his life. You can imagine John who was one of Jesus's core friends, right? He had the 12 and then whenever he did something important or really personal He brought Peter James and John with him, right? So John was one of the three core closest friends of Jesus John was up on the Mount of Transfiguration, right? John went further in the Garden of Gethsemane Peter James and John are the core group the the close friends of Jesus inside the friends of Jesus

4:17 Right? And so you can imagine John's viewpoint on Jesus See when there's 5,000 people right and they're all plus their families and they're all out in the wilderness and trying to eat John is one of the core 12 that brings the lunch to Jesus and is like Jesus, what are we gonna do? We should send these people home and Jesus prays for the food and gives it to John and the rest and they pass out He's seen Jesus do all kinds of stuff and when he gets to the end of his life

4:47 He's remembering back on the life of or the time that he spent with Jesus He's pulling out the stories and arranging them in an order and John in his late life Aranges them in a different order than Matthew Mark and Luke and so like He has a point in early in Jesus ministry in John the way John remembers his time with Jesus Jesus made two significant trips to Jerusalem Matthew Mark and Luke just have just remember Jesus making one trip to Jerusalem

5:19 And this John chapter 4 comes after that first trip to Jerusalem If you were to clean skin back to chapter 2 and 3 Jesus has been in Jerusalem He's cleared out the temple and and then he's talking to kind of Nicodemus and the crowd and teaching and By chapter 4 the Pharisees the kind of like Ballbuster rule followers of the Jewish church have really figured out that Jesus is around in Jerusalem and causing problems

5:56 so so Jesus wants to leave and Get out of there because it's getting frustrating being around them And so John chapter 4 looking at verse 1 now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and Baptizing more disciples than John although Jesus himself did not baptize but only his disciples He left Judea and departed for Galilee and he He had to pass through Samaria So he came to a town of Samaria called sickar

6:30 Near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph Jacob's well was there and so Jesus Wearied as he was from his journey was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour and There came a woman of Samaria to draw water There's a lot John is doing here to set the context for where Jesus is and remember that he's in Jerusalem which is like the capital of

7:02 Israel in the in the first century when Jesus is walking around Remember that Jerusalem at this time is not a sovereign country. It's an occupied country by Rome And of course Israel has been occupied by several countries over the time period But but it's the remnant of two tribes of Israel right Judah and Benjamin and at one time Israel had 12 tribes Right, but early in its history. It split into two kingdoms two

7:34 Brothers didn't get along one took the northern kingdom which had ten tribes and that became Israel and then the southern kingdom Was Judah and that had just the two tribes Israel the northern ten tribes got conquered right away We can't go into the whole story, but they got conquered by Assyria pretty quickly after they split off from the southern tribes This is why it's important when Assyria at the time was the super power of the day Building whole empires when they would move into a country and take it over

8:06 They would bring other people from other lands They had conquered to settle into that new area and take some of the people they just conquered and forcibly move them out in order that a national identity would be diminished and they would be Assyrian and So in Samaria in Galilee where Jesus is going to get away from the ballbuster Pharisees He's in Samaria with the Samaritans and the Jews the two remaining tribes

8:38 in Israel Who still understand themselves as direct descendants of Abraham only? Totally look down their nose. I mean are racist towards the Samaritans because the Samaritans have intermingled with all these other nationalities They're no longer purely Israelite. They're all these other things And so this is why when Jesus really wants to stick it to the Pharisees and they say if I'm supposed to love my neighbor Then who's my neighbor and he tells them the story of the good Samaritan when the good Samaritan out performs all the Jewish folks

9:12 Right because he's like the neighbor is the one who acts neighborly not the one who's descended from Abraham and Jesus is walking out into this area and when the first readers of John would have read this in 90 AD They would pick up really quickly. He's outside. He's in this area of the world that Israelites do not like He's going up to this well and we're supposed to remember Where Jacob was that originally got a given them this land and so the question then is like is does it belong to the Jews or the Samaritans?

9:45 Can the Samaritans claim it because it was Jacobs Right and are the Samaritans really descendant of Jacob or not? And so Jesus is at this well and all of this like context comes rushing in right When you read it, okay verse 7 there came a woman of Samaria to draw water and Jesus said to her give me a drink for his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food The Samaritan woman said to him. How is it that you a Jew asked for a drink from me a woman of Samaria?

10:24 For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans Jesus is crossing these lines. This woman is kind of thrown Don't you know who I am and what that means and how we're supposed to act and Jesus answered her If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you give me a drink You would have asked him and he would have given you living water

10:56 That doesn't make any sense to the Samaritan woman right maybe living water could have meant like moving water like not water standing still like maybe some this well I was reading about it has a section where It's a deep well that Jacobs family built when they moved there and it's hard to build a well when you read through Genesis and Exodus if they make a well they they mention it in the story because it's a big deal to have dug a well Get a place for water and it becomes a meeting place because you're you're

11:30 Shepherding all these animals all over and you got to bring them back and get water You're living and you've got to get water these wells become these center points So there's a well that's still there today There's a Orthodox church built on top of a cave down in the cave because it's been years right the earth is built up over it You can get to this well and there's nearly unanimous opinion that this is the well that that Jesus and the Samaritan woman were at because the mountain that she's about the references right nearby and it's in this historic town Where's sick? Are is and so we're pretty sure this well is still there next to the 70 75 feet deep now underneath the cavern

12:06 Next to that is there's a little spring where it water bubbles out and so she might have thought maybe this Jewish guy who's breaking all the cultural rules talking to a woman not just a woman but a Samaritan woman this culture is kind of being smart with me and Going if you'd have known you'd ask me to get you some of that water that's bubbling up over there because it's better than the still water down 75 feet But of course, that's not what Jesus is referring to the woman said to him So he said you would have asked me to give you a living water and the woman said to him

12:41 Sir, you got nothing to draw water with and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? This is a rhetorical question. Of course. He's not He gave us the well and drank from it himself as did his sons and his livestock and Jesus said to her everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again But whoever drinks of the water that I will give them will never Be thirsty forever The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life

13:17 And the woman said to him sir, I'll take some of that sir Give me this water so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water and then Jesus like flips it on her like he Says the stuff to her to point out that he's been using a metaphor, right? And he's not giving her actual water, but Metaphorical water. He says Jesus said to her

13:48 go call your husband and come here and The woman answered to him. I have no husband and Jesus said to her that's right. You're right in saying you have no husband for you have had five husbands and the one you are You now have it's not your husband what you have said is true the woman said to him sir I perceive that you are a prophet Our father's worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where we ought to worship

14:22 Jesus does this thing where he who knows how he knew this right some people feel like at times the Spirit of God that is in all people or moves through people can communicate so maybe he The Holy Spirit made him aware of the situation that the woman was in Maybe he'd heard he walked through the town. Maybe he'd heard. He's a pretty observant guy Who knows right? But when he tells her I've got this living water that will spring up you to eternal life

14:56 She's like I love the idea of not having here to come to this well Some people make a big point of the fact that she came when no one else was there if you're a woman and taking care of the house in the first century Ancient Near East You wouldn't go to the well in the middle of the day You when you're trying to get lunch like Jesus disciples are you go early in the day when it's not so hot when you could get Water for the whole day Right, maybe you'd go in the evening when the Sun goes down or is on its way down to get water for the evening

15:32 So you have water in the morning, but you certainly wouldn't go in the middle of the day And so all the women would normally go at the same time also it would be safer if you go in a big group You're not going to get hassled by guys that are walking by and nefarious and causing problems Right the dirty shepherds that are dealing with their animals out in the thing aren't going to hassle you if you're in a big group But if you're alone they might and so some scholars make a big deal that this woman is here on her own in the middle of the day

16:03 And so Jesus might have inferred from a couple of different context clues that this woman was in a unique Situation that caused her to avoid all the other woman who might hassle her or trouble her To come on her own when no one would bother her So there's a couple of reasons why Jesus might have made that leap To be able to say this to this woman hey go get your husband and she's like I don't have a husband He's like I can tell That you don't have a husband

16:33 But he's doing this because he's putting his finger on what the metaphor is for right? That the living water that he gives Sasey Hm need maybe to be loved or Affirmed or seen of value You're saying the thing that I give isn't temporary but and doesn't run out doesn't finite but is infinite and It can support you with the things that you need forever

17:03 So he says this thing to this woman and she's like whoa very thrown her attitudes shifts Remember she's asked him rhetorical almost smart out questions like how do you think you're gonna draw you think you're better than Jacob Did you don't even have anything to draw water with how you're gonna draw water? Okay, sure you have water for a living I'll take some of that water Then he says this thing there and she's like I Can see you're a prophet Now look at she asked this question that she should ask a prophet

17:35 So the woman said to him sir I perceive that you are a prophet other our father's worshipped on this mountain But you say that in Jerusalem is the place where we ought to worship She's asking this question. It was a real debate because remember I said the Samaritans Count themselves as of Jewish descent, but Jewish people didn't count them of Jewish descent And when they had split the northern in the southern kingdom there was this area where people could worship God called Bethel

18:07 There was up on this mountain where there was this this temple this like Altar where you could worship God and because the split in the split the northern kingdom lost Jerusalem and the temple Where where you would go to make sacrifices to the presence of God now these Jewish people living up here felt like Ah, we can't go in there and make sacrifices so they elevated Bethel is the place to worship Oh, no, we can make sacrifices there now. This was this ongoing debate August is hundreds of years many generations have been debating a point where should we worship God as

18:43 Though it's a point of national pride. We've got the place where God is no We've got the place where God is we worship God the right way No, we worship God the right way when this woman who's been running through life in a in the situation That's caused her to go to the well in the middle of the day gets called out by this prophet rather than going Why do I feel like such and such? Why does my life keep repeating in this pattern after one after another she goes to the religious question and says hey I can see that you're a prophet tell me where should we worship everybody's always debating where we should worship how we should worship

19:18 What it should look like? right and so She's caught up in this debate About what the right answer to the right religious question is she sees a religious person Ask the right religious question and looks for the right religious answer Bob I'm setting you up. Can you feel it? Okay? Okay, then she goes Sir I perceive that you are a prophet our father's worshiped on this mountain verse 21

19:51 Where people ought to worship first one when Jesus said to her woman believe me The hour is coming when neither on this mountain Nor in Jerusalem will you worship the father? You worship what you do not know we worship what we know for salvation is from the Jews, but verse 23 The hour is coming and is now here when the true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and truth For the father is seeking such people to worship him

20:24 God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth and The woman said to him. I know that the Messiah is coming. He was called to Christ when he comes he will tell us all things And Jesus said to her I who speak to you and he Jesus reveals himself to actually very few people Like often when Jesus does some stuff he tells people don't tell anyone and

20:56 And a lot of times people don't understand who he is They they think he's Elijah. They think he's you know John the Baptist come back to life later They want to make him king He he looks at this woman Samaritan woman at the well Who is working hard to avoid everyone else in town

21:27 Just the two of them Who quickly switches her attitude to ask the right question He looks at her And says it doesn't matter where we worship It doesn't matter how we worship The day is coming and is now here where we get the spirit and

21:57 True people worship wherever they are That's just like I know the Christ is coming he says the Christ is here She She says just then the disciples come back and they Marvel that he was Talking with a woman, but no one said what do you seek or why are you talking with her?

22:29 They basically ignored the woman is what that's saying So she left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people come and see a Man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ? And they went out to the town and were coming to him Meanwhile the disciples were urging him saying rabbi eat, but he said to them I got food eat that you don't even know about verse 38 so the disciples said one to another

23:00 He's somebody's brought something to eat verse 34 Jesus said to them my food is to do the work of him Accomplish me do not say okay Go down To verse 39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony He told me all that I ever did So when the Samaritans came to him they asked him to say to them To stay with them and he stayed there two days and many more believed because of his word

23:31 They said to the woman it is no longer because of what you said that we believe for we have heard from ourselves And we know that this indeed is the Savior of the world after two days he departed for Galilee I picked out this one because for this core value of story because I was trying to get out of truth that I think is really important that the gospel is

24:02 actually For the messiest parts of your life It it the gospel is intended to be helpful in all little corners of your story and So often when we think about church or the way of Jesus It becomes getting the right answers to the right questions

24:36 Becomes pretend the corners of our story don't exist for a little bit and when we engage in the things of religion We ask religious questions and give religious answers, but ignore all the corners of our lives the messy places I Remember when I learned this specifically Didn't go quite as well as I would hope But I had one friend who I knew and he was always asking me like

25:08 He was and he was proud of being a person who is of no faith There is no God I believe in no God But he loved having conversations with me trying to prove to me that that I ought not to believe in God He always wanted me to argue and defend the existence of God Based on the Christian principles and I would engage his questions for months we would see each other a couple times a week and I would talk to him and finally I just got frustrated because I

25:41 Was like this is a totally academic conversation and not helpful for either one of us like And so I just told him dude like We can keep having these conversations, but they're not helpful that the gospel isn't meant to be true in abstract and theory It's only valuable in the messy parts of life So I knew just enough about him to knew to know that he had a strained relationship with his dad. I mean just brutal and

26:15 Said I could debate with you But it would not be helpful to try and convince you that there is a God the God that God came to us in the person Jesus of Nazareth, but you won't believe that until you can consider That if you remember The worst moments in your relationship with your dad When you were sure he didn't love you and had completely relegated you In those moments God was with you and his heart was broken and every place your father failed

26:47 The God of the universe succeeded and stood with you and that no matter how many times you've moved away from him Relegated him Delegated God to something else it doesn't matter that the God of the universe stands with you at his own expense Until you engage that idea Walk into that story Get into that specific memory and in prayer and open-heartedness ask God Where were you when my dad left me?

27:17 Until you bring the gospel into the messy parts of your story It will mean nothing to you and And and this is what Jesus did for the woman at the Samaritan well forget where you worship Forget the shame that brings you here in the middle of the day Forget your identity as a Samaritan woman. That's where she starts. What's my story? I'm a Samaritan. You're a Jew forget the Samaritan piece and Jesus has engaged with me

27:49 Everyone else shuns you you come here in the middle of the day. I look you in the eye No one else talks to you, but I engage you with whole heart and hope for the future We think story is core the story of scripture and your story Because when you engage all parts of your story and invite the gospel into it this

28:22 Is where the gospel? Gains power or your future? Jesus says eternal future life forever with the God Let me pray that we could be people who Who engage our story? With God's story. Hey Lord. Thank you that you have been with us in every corner of our story Teach us how to engage your story with ours meaningfully holding nothing back

28:58 That we might be available to your gospel In Jesus name we pray amen